“Pause” a novel positive coping program for youth offenders : a feasibility pilot study

Abstract

Background: At the time of admission to youth justice residences, youth offenders have usually encountered high rates of adversity throughout their developmental years. They have learned few positive coping strategies for managing the stress or adverse events in their lives.

Literature Review: Recent literature highlights the need for more effective intervention to improve understanding of stress and positive coping skills. A review of three meta-analysis and ten studies about interventions to assist youth offenders identified key components involved in effective interventions. The key components of effective interventions are; The intervention must be evidence-based, transferable, allow the participant to advocate and make choices for themselves, and have a focus on wellbeing. Effective interventions exclude; coercive participation, deterrence methods and punishment. There are many barriers to implementing interventions in youth justice that slow research and in turn have a detrimental flow down effects on young people.

Aim: The aim of the pilot study was to explore the feasibility of implementing a positive- psychology based intervention that aims to improve their stress management, coping, and goal-setting skills, with young people residing in youth justice residences. The pilot will also explore what barriers there are to implementing an intervention like this to young people in youth justice.

Method: A seven-session positive-psychology-based intervention incorporating key components from the literature review was prepared. The intervention aimed to educate the youth about skills for managing stressors and promoting their wellbeing. The program was piloted with four youth residing in a youth justice following ethical approval from relevant organisations. Qualitative methods were used to gather information about each participant’s reactions and engagement with the program during sessions using audio recording. The sessions included semi-structured interviews guided by standard psychological checklists, unstructured interviews following the lead of the participant during the sessions, sharing of transcripts of educational sessions, and discussion of participant satisfaction with the program. The information was presented in four case studies. The information was analysed to explore the impact of and satisfaction with the new intervention and to assess its feasibility. As well as this a number of barriers to implementing such an intervention were identified.